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 Enter Guinea Fowl. I am told that these belong to my neighbor down the street with the Texas Flag on the roof of his barn. Near as I can tell they are more interested in networking with the neighbors than hanging out on his property. They seem to come by while I am having my morning coffee and then again around 5:00 p.m.
Somebody pinch me, yesterday it was 80 degrees here, and today they are expecting temperatures around 78 degrees. Somebody please remind me that this is the month of January. Swiss Chard, Kohlrabi and Kale are up, with the broccoli, cabbage, onions and carrots not too far behind. Before we know it it will be wildflower season.  If you haven't been to Round Top recently you might have missed the three new restaurants going up in the heart of town. Teague's Bar and Grill, Bistro Napoletana, and The Garden Company Cafe, completion expected sometime in the Spring. Everywhere you look there seems to be construction.--new stores and galleries abound!
If you are looking for a place to "staycation," I'd highly recommend a trip to the area. If you are only coming to Round Top for the Antique Shows, you are missing out! Check out our specials for 2016. Round Top has a population of 90, one stop sign and one flashing light. Imagine my surprise when I got a texted from a friend today which read, "I'm stuck in traffic." As my mom use to say, "that tickled my funny bone."
Much is made of the relationship between a dog and her master. I have such a relationship with Dixie Do-little, (as opposed to Dixie-do-a lot) my Jack Russell Terrier, and constant companion. No matter what kind of mood I am in, or how long I've been gone, wet sloppy kisses abound. Knowing of Dixie's fondness for me I knew she would be an eager participant in my pursuit of trying to make a smaller carbon footprint.
Dixie has now given up her designer frozen green beans from HEB (packaged in plastic) and instead has graciously agreed to fresh vegetables from our garden. (carrots and Swiss Chard are among her favorite new treats.) Additionally, she has agreed to limit her wardrobe to the approp for the season. "Greening" up my house makes so much sense on so many levels.--creating a healthier environment, less trash, less trips to the recycling facility, and a ton more money in my pocket to spend on experiences like traveling, rather than things that take up space and need dusting.
For the past couple of weeks I have been trying to "refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot," the 5r's, Bea Johnson, the goddess of "Zero Waste" recommends. I have discovered that vinegar and baking soda can replace the 23 bottles of cleaning products in my house. The concept of a "Zero Waste Home," is a minimalist's dream. I am in heaven! Pretty soon I suspect I will be telling my partner we need to downsize, that our 1150 square foot house might be too big! I can't even begin to tell you how many times I heard this saying growing up. So, through no fault of my own I placed a great deal of emphasis on "storage space."--cabinet, closet, and garage space were all considered prime real estate. So I dare say the decision to buy and sell all of my homes over the years were at least in part based on this criteria. I had an epiphany recently: Everything you have should have a place and be in it's place if you want to know where to find it when you need it, but this begged the question, do we really need and why would we want all the stuff we have?
When one retires, and moves to the country for a "simpler" life one begins to ponder such things. I just reread the a post I made in November of 2012, at which time I started and I guess ended this blog. Sorry to have kept you hanging this long, but I got side tracked, beginning this new chapter of my life. The difference between then and now is now is that I have two and a half years of living here full time under my belt, credentials I would say for being a real resident rather than a "weekender." And how do I know I have truly reached this status? After two and a half years of shopping almost daily in a store, the merchant finally calls me by my name! I was doing the happy dance!--of course they probably don't know that I am a registered democrat.
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AuthorLeslie Elhai is the proud owner and innkeeper of Bird Song Cottage, located in on Winedale Road in Burton, Texas, 4.9 mi. from the center of Round Top, Texas. Archives
March 2016
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